


Wings

by Cuillere



Category: Van Helsing (2004)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Community: smallfandomfest, Fluffy, Happy Ending, M/M, Not Really Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 14:33:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22497649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuillere/pseuds/Cuillere
Summary: Gabriel is the Left Hand of God, and thus has an angelic form.  Vlad is fascinated by him, and Gabriel can’t help but fall for the Prince.  Then everything was ripped away.  When they meet again, Gabriel has lost his memory and Vlad is a vampire.  Can Vlad remind him that even fallen angels still have wings, and that true love is eternal?
Relationships: Vladislaus Dracula/Gabriel Van Helsing
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40
Collections: Small Fandoms Fest





	Wings

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for SmallFandomFest on Dreamwidth! I had never thought of writing a fic on Van Helsing before I saw the prompts ^^

The first time Vladislaus sees Gabriel’s wings, they’ve known each other for a few months. They’ve been training and hunting together.  
Vlad thinks they are going along pretty well.  
He had not expected to like him. Actually, he had expected to be disappointed by the man behind the stories. Instead, he’s found so much more than what the stories tell.  
He’s found a man who is compasionnate and friendly and he’s even found himself attracted to him. He has known for a long time that he can be attracted to anyone, and since he’s no heir to the throne, he’s not pressured into having an heir himself; he knows that’s why he can get away with his fancies.

The hunt is rendered somewhat difficult by the incessant ballet of clouds, hiding the full moon for a few minutes and then letting it shine for another few. The men often find themselves in the near-complete dark, and the few lights they have need to be out of sight, so they only light a very small patch in front of them.  
They are all dispatched in little packs around a light, and he’s acutely aware that he’s with *just* Gabriel. He can hear both of their breathing, and some of their steps. He hears some whispered instructions further away in the woods, but no group has yet spotted the wolf.  
It may be his distraction with the presence of Gabriel that causes him to not notice anything beforehand, but wolves can also be very silent.  
He suddenly feels the air punched out of his lungs, and then the solid bark against his back and head.  
He feels dizzy. He tries to concentrate and quickly realises he’s let go of everything with the shock. All he can hear is the blood pounding through his body and the sounds of leaves rustling, maybe someone speaking? That sounds almost eerie.  
He’s still coming to his senses when a sudden bright light invades his vision. He blinks and squints against it, putting his hand in front of his eyes to shield them.  
Are those… wings?

The second time Vlad sees them, they are on their own again. Gabriel has been away for weeks and had avoided Vlad before that.  
At this point, Vlad has convinced himself that Gabriel simply doesn’t like him - for being weak or something, maybe?  
He is very surprised when Gabriel comes back to his father’s court.  
He had thought the man would avoid the place altogether, since he’d been avoiding him.  
He’s even more surprised when Gabriel just shows up to his door that very afternoon. He’d been thinking about him, about why he was back.  
It takes him a short moment to collect his wits.  
“Lord Gabriel. Is there anything I can do for you?” he asks a bit coldly as he opens the door fully and gestures for him to come in.  
“There is, yes.” He stays silent for too long - like he expects something - before he starts again, “I would like to present to you my apology for my previous behaviour. I must as well present to you the reasons for it.”

And then Gabriel talks for a while. He explains. Vlad had not dreamt and those were wings he had seen in the forest: Gabriel’s wings. Gabriel shows them again and Vlad is fascinated. He had managed to convince himself that the light in his memory had actually been nothing more than a light pointed at his face when he was still out of his wits.  
As they are talking, Gabriel confides he his an envoy of God and the shared secret brings the two men closer together.

The third time he sees the wings, they have spent quite a few nights together and one could tell they are much more than friends.  
Gabriel has been tense, lately. Vlad can tell there is something weighing on him, something more than the usual nightmares and worries about some new creature roaming about.

He has been offering support to the best of his abilities, but Gabriel wouldn’t let him know of the burden.  
Not until now.

Gabriel stands in front of him, ready to give him an explanation. He worries his lips and unexpectedly starts undressing.  
Vlad feels a smile playing with his lips, but shoots it down. The matter is definitely serious.

“I’m guessing this is not to try and distract me, nor is it for my viewing pleasure...” he half-asks.

Gabriel doesn’t even scowl at him, his face stays mostly blank, with just the little frown of his brows.

Vlad feels even more concerned now. “Are you … hurt?”

“Not exactly,” he answers cryptically as he takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes.

His two wings slowly emerge from behind his back, and as little as Vlad as seen them, he spots immediately that they are different. Most of his feathers are now greyish, some are very dark.  
He stares for a while, before he asks “Does it hurt? Are you sick?”

Gabriel sighs. “I am not sick. I feel fine. I just… I think I’m falling.”  
Vlad opens his mouth, and stops breathing for a while. Tries to think properly.  
Gabriel is looking at him with an uncertain look, like he’s worried Vlad may like him any less because of it.  
Vlad is trying to make sense of it all. The words are blurry and nothing makes sense. “You… think?”  
“Well, yes. I think so. It’s not like it’s ever happened to me before, you know? Falling is not exactly something I do on a regular basis.” Gabriel retorted.  
Surprised by this sudden aggressivity, Vlad startled back a bit, before asking more questions, trying to make sense of things.  
“But, you would *know*, if you were falling. Right? You’d have to. I mean, maybe it’s like a season of some kind, no? Or an adolescence? You can’t just… fall. You need at the very least a reason for that. But you’ve done nothing *wrong*, it’s just… you can’t be falling,” his voice goes a bit strangled on that last word, but they both completely ignore it.  
“Listen, Vlad, I’ve been thinking about this. It’s the only explanation. As for a reason,” Gabriel stops suddenly and he turns away.  
Gabriel can’t believe that, can he?

The fourth time Vlad sees the wings, he is in a daze.

He knows Gabriel doesn’t love him. Not enough to fight Them.  
He remembers they’ve been fighting. That’s where the blood comes from, then.  
He vaguely hears Gabriel talking, but doesn’t understand the words. He sees the halo behind him. Right, the wings. Why are they soothing him?  
His gaze focuses suddenly on Gabriel’s eyes. He can see the pain there. An infinite pain.  
Vlad swallows and takes a breath as Gabriel makes another soothing sound. “Why?” he croaks.  
He thinks for a second that Gabriel is going to look down, but he doesn’t. “I can’t let you doom your soul, Vladislaus.”

He doesn’t know. It’s too late now.

The fifth time Vlad sees his wings, he is blinded by rage.

He has changed. Dying changed him. Being killed changed him. Being killed *by Gabriel* changed him.  
Gabriel, on the other hand, has not changed. He was against the plan, and now he's set on killing him.  
The fight is a whole other level than their previous trainings. His new speed gives him a welcome advantage and he’s about to throw a clawed hand at Gabriel when he stops dead in his tracks. Gabriel has opened his wings. They are jet black.  
Which means he has not been forgiven. He is still fallen. Despite his devotion. Despite his renouncement.

The rage surges forward brutally. It’s deeper than ever and he loses all control.

He’s already tossing Gabriel left and right. His claws are digging into his flesh at every occasion. The sound of multiple bones breaking against the stone doesn’t stop him. The sight of the blood pooling around them doesn’t stop him. The cries of pain don’t stop him either.  
He’s towering over the bloody mess he made of Gabriel, ready to deal another blow, when the meaning of what the angel said just an instant before reaches him - his conscious mind, behind the blind rage - and he stops again.

He doesn’t believe anymore that eternal love is for them.

The next time over, he doesn’t see the wings.  
He doesn’t really see Gabriel either. It’s him, really. He has just… forgotten everything. Not just them, he seems to have forgotten about himself, too.  
That’s worse than anything, because he knows why. He *remembers* beating him to death. He remembers the blind rage, the bloody instinct. He remembers it all too well.  
He is much better at controlling his animal impulses now.  
He has had a lot of time to do so. He also had a lot of time to think over what transpired that day.  
And Gabriel has forgotten.

Maybe they can have another chance.

Maybe eternal love *can* be for them, after all.

So he introduces himself. Again. And escapes.

The next time he sees the wings, he doesn’t expect them.

He has acted on his hopes and gotten Gabriel locked in a luxurious suite. He has talked to him a lot and seen his truth evolve progressively. He has seen the doubts increase and the questions grow.  
He has wondered how truthful he should be. Should he tell him about them, or let him remember? He wants him to remember, but he can’t quite impose it upon him.

It takes him a few hours of reflection before he sets his mind on talking to him about the wings.

“You remember I’ve talked about how glorious you were, right?”  
Gabriel acquiesces, probably wondering where this is going.  
“Well, it’s not just a metaphor. I meant that you do have a glorious form.” Gabriel’s eyes grew smaller and curious at that. “You have wings.”  
The silence stretches for a bit and Vlad observes those cool grey eyes.  
“I’ve seen them a few times. You even have shown them to me, on purpose…” Vlad hesitates for an instant but decides against talking to him about their relationship.  
Instead, he sighs softly and stands up. He feels hopeful, but tired and leaves the room.  
These last few days have made him live through some really nice memories with Gabriel, and his love for him is still very present, but the man in front of him doesn’t remember being Gabriel. Vlad is grateful for that second chance, but it hurts to see those eyes empty of feelings for him, be those feelings hate if they must.

By the time he realises he has taken his decision, he’s already back in front of Gabriel’s door. He swallows and knocks. It doesn’t take long for the handle to turn and the door opens.  
It takes him way too long to understand what has happened. It’s not the wings that make him smile though, he barely notices them.  
It’s those eyes.  
They finally recognise him.  
And it is not hate he sees there.

**Author's Note:**

> I am absolutely delighted at the reception this is having! Thank you to everyone who kudoed this work!!!! <3
> 
> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors.  
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> I reply to comments unless you don't want me to (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


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